
NASHVILLE, TENN. - For as long as we can remember, the societal view of the future has been sleek, shiny, even aerodynamic. In recent years most broadcasters have focused on those ideals when dealing with studio redesigns, integrating touchscreens and augmented reality systems, for example. But Gary Kanofsky and RFD TV went the other way. Aiming to appeal more to its rural demographic, when it came time for RFD to redesign its studio, the network went with barn doors and trusses to provide a unique look.
That doesn't mean the broadcaster is behind the times. While it went retro with the d cor, RFD made sure that its infrastructure utilized state-of-the-art products to bring the highest quality to its viewers.
To accomplish this, RFD founder Patrick Gottsch hired Kanofsky last year as the new chief content officer and executive vice president of news, and more specifically, to help launch the redesign.
Patrick Gottsch had wanted to upgrade the quality of what his product looked like on the air, said Kanofsky. Number one, he was frustrated by the limits of what he couldn't do on TV and he wanted to be able to do more. And the second reason, he wanted to make the product more appealing so we could widen our net.
Launched in December 2000, RFD-TV is owned by Rural Media Group with its studio based at Northstar studios in Nashville, Tenn. RFD rented out a small space in the studio that was limited to a chroma key and a couple of cameras; even though the space was HD capable, RFD did not have the tools to utilize it. Kanofsky described it as The kind of thing you would expect to see at a college TV station or a really small market cable outlet.
The first step in the redesign came when RFD picked up shop and moved its studio to the former home of Great American Country on Music Row in Nashville. From there, Kanofsky dug in and got to work.
The highest priority was to make sure that in building the new studio the cosmetics and images, as well as the presentation, did not drift away from the core values of the network, he said.
With that in mind, Kanofsky brought in Jim Fenhagen and Camille Connelly of Jack Morton Production Design Group. They focused on browns, woods, and imagery typically associated with rural lifestyle. The fire place with the big, heavy, rich brown leather chairs, the rusted out tractor seat and wheels you're not going to see that anywhere on television except on RFD TV, said Kanofsky.
Perhaps more important to the redesign, though, were the things that viewers can't see. RFD's new studio had one disadvantage over the networks's previous home at Northstar: it was only SD. To make sure that it got the most out of the redesign, RFD was committed to becoming fully HD-capable. As a result, the studio's infrastructure needed be completely overhauled from the ground up.
RFD tapped Grass Valley for its video system, including the K2 Summit, Ingest, Playout, and proxy and craft editing systems, and added ENPS MOS for automation. New lights, new video monitors, and even completely redesigned Orad graphics (utilizing real-time data) were added to the new and improved studio.
The first broadcast in the new studio took place on March 23; a mere six months after the company began the redesign process. The reaction thus far has been great according to Kanofsky.
The producers absolutely love the control they have, he said. The graphics teams loves that they can focus on creativity and they don't have to do all this manual garbage. The sales people are ecstatic with what we constructed. They bring clients down now to see the stage and there's a real wow factor when you walk in.
Kanofsky has worked in the industry for 36 years, holding positions with CNBC, Bloomberg and CBS, but he is particularly proud of what RFD was able to accomplish. We created something that is every bit as sophisticated, as robust and as capable as anything I've ever worked with anywhere.
--
Most recent headlines
13/03/2025
WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...
13/03/2025
SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...
13/03/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...
13/03/2025
TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...
13/03/2025
Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions.
...
12/03/2025
O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...
12/03/2025
Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...
12/03/2025
Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...
12/03/2025
Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...
12/03/2025
More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report
NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...
12/03/2025
GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...
12/03/2025
BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....
12/03/2025
LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...
12/03/2025
CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....
12/03/2025
Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
High-capacity switch enhances existi...
12/03/2025
DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol
Brie Clayton March 12, 2025
0 Comments
Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...
12/03/2025
SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...
12/03/2025
Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits.
By
Madd...
12/03/2025
TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...
12/03/2025
The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks
By Matthew Corrig...
12/03/2025
Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months
By Jenny ...
12/03/2025
Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation
Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
12/03/2025
Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...
12/03/2025
12 Mar 2025
VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...
12/03/2025
Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...
12/03/2025
THE PLAYERS Championship 2025: AI Commentary, Shared-Reality Viewing at COSM, La...
12/03/2025
Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...
12/03/2025
Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...
12/03/2025
With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...
12/03/2025
Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...
12/03/2025
Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...
12/03/2025
New HVS-Q12 Represents a Quantum Leap in Switcher Design...
12/03/2025
Telespazio and ABS Expand Partnership to Deliver Tailored C-Band Connectivity So...
12/03/2025
ABC conducts independent audits across the TAG programs. In the March 2025 TAG s...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...
12/03/2025
Consumer show back following hugely successful first series
10 March 2025 Following a hugely successful first series, The Complaints Bureau returns to RT ...
11/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
11/03/2025
Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...
11/03/2025
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...
11/03/2025
The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...
11/03/2025
NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...
11/03/2025
NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...
11/03/2025
Powerful switcher for news studio
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...